Happy Disney/Fox Day! Today is the first official day that Disney and Fox are now one, meaning all is right with the world! Well, that is if the only thing you care about are superhero films because, for thousands of people, they’re out of a job. Yeah…not so good.
But for this article, the focus is on superheroes, and thus, we can not dwell on the sad state of affairs that has led to the industry’s first mega-studio that will no doubt put everyone else out of business and rule the world by 2025. What we care about right now is the “X-Men,” damn it!
READ MORE: ‘Black Widow’: Florence Pugh Joins Scarlett Johansson In Next Female-Led Marvel Movie
The question that is on everyone’s mind (aka fandom’s mind) is what happens to the Fox Marvel properties, such as the various characters from the “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four” franchises, now that Disney, and thus, Marvel Studios is in the driver’s seat. Well, for the short term, it means…nothing. Because thanks to a new report from THR, we have a general idea of what the next few years are going to look like for Marvel Studios, and even though fans aren’t going to be happy about it, the roadmap has no mutants or superpowered families.
First, let’s talk 2019. This year, Marvel Studios releases three films. This month saw the monster release of “Captain Marvel” (which did feature Skrulls, which are in the gray area of Fox/Disney ownership). Next is “Avengers: Endgame” in April, which has been revealed to already be in the can and ready to go, and won’t feature mutants. And then lastly, there’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and let’s be real, if Marvel Studios is going to introduce the X-Men or Fantastic Four, they won’t do it in a Sony film.
As for 2020 and beyond, THR reports that the two films that are likely to begin shooting this year (and will be ready for 2020) are “Black Widow” and “The Eternals.” After that, 2021 looks to feature some sequels, such as “Black Panther 2,” “Doctor Strange 2,” and the new character “Shang-Chi.” Although we don’t have confirmation this is the case (with Marvel Studios likey not confirming anything until San Diego Comic-Con, at the earliest), this is what is being planned.
That leaves the earliest we can see the “X-Men” or “Fantastic Four” reboots in 2022. That makes sense, considering no real discussions have taken place about the futures, since it is only legal to start making business moves beginning today.
READ MORE: ‘Short Term 12′ Director Destin Daniel Cretton To Helm Marvel Studios’ ‘Shang-Chi’
And no, none of this seems to take into consideration “Deadpool,” which is still a big question mark, considering the character doesn’t really fit in with anything Marvel Studios has created in its 20+ films. But the ramifications of the deal hasn’t been forgotten by star Ryan Reynolds, who is celebrating today’s business dealings with a brand-new image:
Feels like the first day of ‘Pool. pic.twitter.com/QVy8fCxgqr
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 19, 2019